ELKHART — When Guy David Gundlach gave an estimated 125 million to the Elkhart County Community Foundation, it made big news, and the story of the gift is far from over.

THE STORY SPREADS

“It's been quite a week,” said Pete McCown, head of the community foundation, who's been fielding calls from all over.

Since the news first appeared in The Elkhart Truth and eTruth.com one week ago, other media outlets have picked up on the story.

In addition to news organizations from this area, Gundlach's story appeared in places like Indside Indiana Business, the Indianapolis Business Journal and the Indianapolis Star. It's been in the New York Daily News, ABC News and the Huffington Post.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy is following the story, and even The Daily Mail in the UK, where Gundlach made much of his money in the insurance industry, has shared Gundlach's story with its readers.

THE LOCAL RESPONSE

Of course, nowhere is Gundlach's generosity a bigger deal than in Elkhart County, where it will have a lasting impact.

Rumors of the gift had been circulating in the Elkhart community for some time, but the actual size of the gift was a matter of speculation until the foundation's official announcement appeared in The Truth last week.

The community has a lot to say about it. “I anticipated a bit of that. I didn't anticipate the tsunami,” McCown said.

“Yes, we've had contact from some of the not-for-profits,” people who could benefit from the money, but more than that, it's the people with suggestions about prioritizing the needs of the community.

“As I walk into my office every day, there are hundreds of emails in my inbox, not from resource-seekers but from people in the community, many of whom I've not met or made an acquaintance with, who are providing their counsel and perspective on what they believe the social concerns in our community are,” McCown said. People have suggested the money should go to things like child poverty, economic development, reducing recidivism, helping the homeless, helping teens and even taking care of abandoned pets, he said. “It's all been in a positive spirit,” he said.

“Clearly there are people in this community who care passionately for all kinds of causes,” McCown said.

Gundlach's gift is huge, and will be significant. “While it is a remarkable gift, it certainly will improve the quality of life in our community … seven-and-a-half million dollars a year isn't enough to prop up the not-for-profit organizations in this community,” he said.

There are concerns in the community that Gundlach's generosity might turn off others to the needs we have, McCown said. “How do we make sure that these resources don't dampen the generosity of others?”

That's something the foundation board will have to decide, but McCown is looking at the history of the Kresge Foundation — named for Kmart founder Sebastian Kresge — and how they've used grants to build communities and charities, by offering to match other funds raised by those organizations.

“I could see some variation of that where we use Dave's resources to actually encourage generosity to organizations,” McCown said.

MORE THAN JUST MONEY

David Gundlach's gift will also provide some cultural resources in the community.

“Dave had a modest-sized but notable collection of art,” McCown said. As part of his estate, 12 to 15 pieces of it will come here under the foundation's ownership. Those include paintings by Pablo Picasso and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a sculpture by Salvador Dali, pieces by Joan Miro and by living Armenian artist Yuroz, and furniture by Viscount David Linley, nephew to Queen Elizabeth II of England.

“We're going to bring those pieces back and likely they will be part of a rotating exhibit” in the area, though details haven't been worked out, McCown said.

“At some point in time we need to find a way to honor and memorialize him and tell David's story,” McCown said. He thinks it's possible that someday, some public building in the county could feature a “David Gundlach Library” with some of the art and the artistic furniture on display.

WHAT THE GIFT SAYS ABOUT GUNDLACH

“He was an interesting man. A really interesting man. I wish I'd had the chance to get to know him better. I find him to be a really fascinating personality,” McCown said.

Next to the expensive art, Gundlach would hang a print from Target, McCown said.

Catherine Wells Bentz of the community foundation described them as “eclectic tastes.”

McCown explained it as, “He wasn't snobbish in his taste. He had very fine taste, but it was informed by a bit of humility and practicality as well. He'd have a Prius in the garage and also have a Bentley,” McCown said.

“He had been remarkably successful in Europe,” rubbing shoulders with world leaders, “but Europe wasn't his home.”

In the U.S., Gundlach had homes in many spots – he died in one of his homes in Malibu, Calif., a home next door to Adam Sandler's house, according to McCown.

Elkhart “was his return home, and Malibu was a retreat,” McCown said.

“At the end of the day, the friendships and relationships you have tend to be far more than how much money you've accumulated,” McCown said. Elkhart was always “home” for Gundlach, and that's why, in his death, he invested his life's wealth in Elkhart County.

THE FUTURE

What to do with the more than $6 million a year that Gundlach's gift adds to the foundation's annual giving isn't a question the foundation board is rushing to answer.

They've always been careful their grants, and while Gundlach's gift is huge, it is consistent with the many other gifts that have grown the foundation to where it is today. “We intend to treat gifts of any size with the same degree of appreciation and dignity,” McCown said.

There's no question that Gundlach's gift will have to change how the foundation operates, just because of the larger scope.

The foundation board and staff have been working with the knowledge of the gift since Gundlach died in October. At a board retreat in May the 21-member board divided up into groups to look at various aspects of how the gift will impact the foundation and its work for the community, McCown said.

Now they want the public's input. “We're on a bit of a listening tour here the next six months,” McCown said. “Our board is indeed interested in hearing the entire community's perspective on this before we make decisions about which initiatives we're going to take the greatest interest in,” he said.

“One of the core groups that we want the counsel from is the not-for-profit leaders.”

Already, in the first week, McCown said, “A significant portion of our community has been thinking about our community: 'What are the social concerns of our community? What can I do about them?'

“That's cool. For me, that's cool.”